Two life sentences for murderer of seven-year-old Princess from Charl Cilliers

George Sibiloane (21) has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for the murder and rape of seven-year-old Nomvelo ( Princess) Rossouw, bringing to an end a case that left a farming community near Charl Cilliers traumatised.

Sibiloane was sentenced by the Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Breyten on August 13 after being found guilty of murdering and raping his young neighbour.

The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that his name be placed on the relevant offenders’ register.

The case dates back to March, when police received a report that Princess was missing from the Syferfontein Farm which stretches along the R50 between Standerton and the eMbalenhle turn-off.

Police immediately activated several units to search for the child. During the operation, officers encountered a man carrying a suspicious bag. A search of the bag uncovered clothing belonging to a young girl, soaked in blood.

Princess’s body was found on March 8 in a shallow grave deep inside a mealie field on the farm. Sibiloane was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the child’s murder and rape.

According to police, the investigation team gathered crucial evidence and built a strong case that ultimately resulted in his conviction and sentencing.

Her father, farm worker Sunnyboy Rossouw, previously told the newspaper that he would forever be haunted by the sight of his youngest child where she was found.

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“There was blood on her mouth. I think she might have been strangled,” Rossouw recalled.

He said the condition in which Princess was found was particularly distressing for the family.

“The most shocking to us was that her half-naked body was so clean – it looked almost as if she had been washed. It breaks me that I could not protect her,” he said.

The maize field where Princess was found remains part of the view that greets Rossouw, his life partner Stella Motha and their remaining three children every day.

Also within view is the home where Sibiloane grew up. The tragedy also had a profound impact on children living on the farm.

Following Princess’s murder, many children became frightened, with some struggling to return to school.

Because the children rely on a bus to travel to school, parents were forced to accompany them to ensure they reached the bus and school safely. Some children were reportedly so traumatised that they resisted going to school altogether.

For the Rossouw family and the wider farming community, Sibiloane’s sentencing brings a measure of justice, but the memory of Princess and the trauma caused by her death are likely to remain for years to come.